Category: Academic Interests

The aspect I admire most about engineering is its problem-solving approach which combines physics and mathematics to face problems of increasing complexity. Engineering is both used to solve human problems as well as satisfy human curiosity. A great example is NASA’s rover Opportunity, which survived almost 15 years longer than expected against all odds. We can attribute opportunity’s success to the excellent engineering work done which enabled the rover to withstand the harsh conditions on Mars. For instance, its wheels were specially designed to grip to its uneven surface. The rover’s journey has had a long-lasting impact on space exploration and has shown how engineers are consistently able to solve complex problems and open new doors to society.

In high school, I was given the task of creating a battery-operated race car. Our first hurdle was learning how to use the modelling program SolidWorks, as well as a milling machine, a 3D printer and a welding machine. I did so by watching videos online and through trial-and-error. Our main obstacle was keeping in mind the aerodynamics and stress analysis of the car. Our first prototype did not withstand the pressure of the speed at which it was propelled, notably at the main pressure points of the chassis. After researching the assembly of race cars and the way each part is linked, I made the decision to reinforce these vulnerable areas by adding an additional block to the car, which after multiple trials was able to maintain the structure of the car while conserving its flexibility. I gained insight into the world of engineering and all its complexities, in which an initial concept goes through a process of designing, manufacturing, assembling, and testing to finally get an end product.

I also carried out an internship at the sustainable architecture company GreenA Consultants. An aspect that intrigued me was the ability of these architectural engineers to design the structure of a building while simultaneously keeping in mind the aesthetic and sustainable aspects. I looked into one of their biggest projects, Singapore’s Changi Airport Terminal 4. I was fascinated by their ability to design an avant-garde building based fully on sustainable construction methodologies, notably the use of shaded double-glazed glass to reduce artificial lighting by allowing natural light and by limiting thermal transfers resulting in minimized air conditioning. This experience taught me to work with others while autonomously organizing myself in terms of a schedule, and improved my research, organization and presentation skills. I also deepened my knowledge on different aspects of construction and design which will be helpful in my studies.

Intrigued by the link between engineering and the artistic aspect of architecture, I watched Bran Ferren’s Ted Talk which left a lasting impact on me. I was captivated by the idea that the worlds of art and design could be compatible with science and engineering, and that their combination could result in unique, life-changing projects capable of withstanding the test of time. Indeed, engineering today is no longer simply about applying mathematical and scientific principles to face our world’s issues but it is more so about using creativity and art to provide pioneering, innovative and sustainable solutions, and I look forward to deepening this idea in university.

I enjoy using art as a creative outlet, through painting, knitting and crafting. Having taken weekly art classes for ten years, I participated in numerous competitions, such as the Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Competition for which I was awarded a notable award. This hobby has taught me to meticulously pay attention to details whilst bearing in mind the final product.

Deepening my scientific knowledge throughout my studies has strongly encouraged me to pursue engineering at university, and I believe that I have the motivation and passion for sciences which are needed to pursue a career in this field.

Way back in 2012, when I started my senior secondary education, I chose biology as a major subject and slowly it became subject of core interest. By the time I completed my two years with I got fully mesmerized with biotechnology. It was no wonder for me that I scored highest in the subject.

Pursuing biotechnology as a core subject of graduation was already seeded so getting one was like first dream come true. I enrolled myself in Banasthali University in BSc (Biotechnology). During three years of my graduation, I learnt about all branches of biology and how biotechnology interlinks each other. Our curriculum was designed in such a way that I could relate my practical with theory matter effortlessly.

During the final year of graduation, I chose to use my summer vacation as an opportunity period to learn hands-on training on some of the skills. I cherry-picked the techniques which are used in industrial microbiology, cell and molecular biology, plant biotechnology and bioinformatics. During my trainee days, I learnt the art to read research articles and confine the project report. During those two months, I was also brushed upon the usage of chemicals and reagents in the ecological conservative manner and importance of proper disposal methods.

By 2018, post-graduation became key enabler in line to pursue my dream further, dreams which I had been living for past 5 years and they enabled me to see future further. These dreams were further shaped by some of the great professors and scientists whom I listened to during guest lectures. Listening to them and their innovative works in field of biotechnology convinced my mind and my loved subject and chosen career path even more.

Recently, during making of assignment on apoptosis and its role in cancer removal I came across some bacterial proteins which have anti-cancer properties. For instance, Azurin protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces cancer cell apoptosis by forming complexes with tumor protein p53. This peptide is said to have a strong cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cell lines. Similarly, parasporin-the cytocidal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis when over expressed shows cytotoxic activity against different cancer cell lines such as HeLa and HepG2. These proteins produce detectable changes in the cancer cells which range from change in cell morphology, shrinkage of cells and bleb formation eventually leading the cancer cell towards apoptosis. Multiple of such bacterial proteins can lead them towards their therapeutic usage to remove cancerous cell from the body. It was astonishing to read how these bacterial peptides either directly or indirectly triggered programmed cell death in cancer cell lines. I believe overexpression of such proteins by using certain recombinant techniques can lead these peptides into market as anti-cancer drugs.

More importantly the growing resistance capability of cancerous cells and other side effects of chemotherapy demands for the new paradigm for cancer treatment. This can be achieved by cloning bacteria which can express anti-cancer proteins in high amounts. Despite of having huge diversity of bacteria and other microbes, the number of bacterial proteins and the other biological active compounds known with anti-cancer activities are few. The need is to discover, isolate, study and clone such bacterial strains to produce such anti-cancer peptides.

This has led me to know that your institute can give me hands-on training on ongoing research in this area. Your institute can be a refining platform for me where I can joyfully engage myself in research and development as key stage towards fulfilling my ever-growing dream.

I will be very obliged if I get a chance to shape my dream further by working with some of the great scientists, state-of-the-art laboratories and renowned institute.

“All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them”, -Walt Disney.

My statement of purpose is actually my story, a simple and normal story of a young man in his mid-20’s, who has dreams and wants to fulfill them. I am not exceptional, outstanding, immensely talented, genius, natural leader or claim to be one; but an individual who is in pursuit of becoming a better human, son, student, professional day by day. A man who committed mistakes in his past, learned from those mistakes and in process of not to repeat them in future. A man, who recently came to know the importance of education in this present scenario, if one won’t focus on academics at right moment, one has to go with many hardships of life.

I joined Winborough Consulting Private Limited as Accounts Executive. I am a professional, who completed under graduation from St. Paul’s Degree & PG College, a premier institute accredited by Osmania University (OU) and National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). I have a bachelor degree in commerce. My interest in accounting and finance arose later in my life when I started working in the accounting department.

My interest for learning new ideas, when combined with my inner desire to reach a position of excellence in every piece of work I perform, enabled me to acquire significant knowledge on various aspects of accounting and finance, as well as leading me through a successful educational career. I enjoy acquiring new skills and information, which help me to adapt to the fast-changing world, as well as pique my interest in innovation.

I have always been an inspired person with the desire to make history with my father being the role model of my life. I have been exposed to the accounting and finance, since childhood as my father worked in the tax department of the state government. This interest for accounting and finance made me to learn accounting packages. That is the reason I preferred joining in accounts department. I wish to make a career in this field. I do believe that this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg since undergraduate study alone is inadequate. Graduate study would add a new dimension to my knowledge base.

Apart from my academic field, being a student at my college, I had actively participated in almost every activity conducted by our college, whether it would be a quiz competition or social welfare programs. As I firmly believe in giving back to society, I was a member of an NGO named ‘EHSAAS’, working for the upliftment of woman.

I am confident that my academic records and practical knowledge combined with my keenness to see myself as an esteemed finance manager, business manager and imbibing new ways in the field of finance exhibit the perseverance and enthusiasm required to pursue a master’s degree in your reputed university.

In pursuit of excellence, I am sure to excel and face the challenges in any dimensional field of finance, as situation demand. I eagerly wait to become a successful entrant at your university. I strongly believe that the guidance and professional skills to be imparted at your university will enable me to enhance my educational potentials and shape my personality for a bright and prosperous career.

The effective balance, in my well-heeled personality, in retrospect, would certainly enable me to perform much better in life, in the highly professional lifestyle that I would be subjected to. I bring along with me a fervent desire to research new things and an aptitude for teaching. I believe that your prestigious university would be the best environment for me to attain my goals while gaining exposure as well as experience with a diverse student body and faculty. I am confident of meeting the standards of your graduate program and I can assure that I will not be found wanting in any of these. Having made this statement of purpose, I hope that my application for admission will be considered favorably.

I am keen to join the graduate stream as I am sure this will bestow me with an excellent platform to explore the field of finance. I believe that I possess the motivation, the intellectual ability, and the background to take up this demanding graduate program and to make significant contributions to the ongoing work in the university.

I am confident that my academic aspirations will become a reality if I am admitted to your esteemed university for the fall term. I eagerly look forward to joining your department as a graduate student.

My attraction towards the Communication program developed when I noticed the amount of material from the lower communication courses correlated with my day-to-day life. For instance, interpersonal communication can be used to describe the interactions between individuals, and the benefits from the exchange of information were necessary to me, holding multiple positions within my fraternity. Before holding any positions, I had a personal relationship with the previous Head of Community Service, which steadily evolved into a professional relationship as I helped him coordinate with multiple organizations and manage over 70 members’ activities. As I continued with my assistance, I was given the offer to become the Head of Community Service the following year because the previous head endorsed me on my behalf. I wish to learn more about how the topic of interpersonal communication can aid my future career.

As someone who spends a large amount of time on the Internet, I can say that social media outlets and online reactions can be very chaotic. The study of communication can be very helpful to many people when trying to traverse these interactions. Going past professional and private relationships, the Internet has become so prevalent within the society we live in. The use of Reddit can be an example of how a social media outlet can be used by many people to view thoughtless posts for humor, as well as view many other different opinions on certain important topics. With the development of new outlets that allow others to gather and interact, my inquisitiveness towards these developments grows, alongside my interest in entering a Communication major at the University of Washington.

Through my own eyes and experience with media outlets, I am able to understand the connection between the increasing advancements of media outlets and the community that it affects. Although there are many different media outlets, one of the most reliable would be the use of radio within a community. Since the creation of radio stations in 1933, it has been an amazing spring of many different cultural factors that can be shared across the nation. As an Asian American for whom English is a second language, using the radio was an essential key to helping me understand the community in which I lived. The distribution of news and music through a radio outlet allows me to see the significance and impact it has on its community.

By majoring in Communications, I wish to have the ability to understand the evolution of my community. With the information I learn, I hope to be able to have a positive impact on my community.

Double majoring is the form of completing two sets of degree requirements and you get one bachelor’s degree when you graduate. You can pursue two fields to study in college to help you in the future. The majority use two majors that relate to each other in a certain field and it’s more helpful because it makes you a stronger and more reliable candidate for your dream job. Although some double major in two fields of subjects that are different but it still works out great because you have a backup to fall back on and employers see that you’re very skilled in two different fields and you have a higher knowledge of certain things. It can also give you a higher percentage of getting more income in your future job and it can benefit you in many ways. The two majors that I chose to use are Sociology and Criminal Justice; these two fields of study relate and overlap each other have to do with society and understanding the meaning of certain things or the reason to crime and why it happens. I’m going to use these two to show how double majoring can work perfectly together and the benefits that come with it.

Why Double Majoring Is Better Than Minoring

Starting college can be a bit stressful and scary for everyone. You might not know what you want to be yet or what you want to study to have a career in, in the future. Although, knowing the requirements for 2 majors can be helpful for choosing which major or which career path you want to choose or follow when you enter college. Knowing which classes you are required to take, if the major is impacted and very hard to get into the program, and the minimum G.P.A. required to stay in the major as well. All these requirements can help you make your final decision, they can help you. Choose on depending what are your strengths and weaknesses and the perfect major for you. For example, if you want to be a Sociology major and one of the classes required as a GE is Psychology and you got a bad grade in high school in psychology, then maybe it’s not the right major for you. Another example is if you want to go into Criminal Justice but then see that you must maintain a minimum of a 3.00 G.P.A. With every grade being a C or better; that can be a bit of a challenge, especially if your working as well, then maybe you have to adjust yourself a schedule or change your mind onto a different major. Knowing these specific pieces of information can help you in making the right decision for you and your future.

This paper will examine the reasons and explanations why Double Majoring is the right choice for certain people and how it can make you look better as a student or employer and how it can benefit you in the future. For example, when you apply for a job, employers might see that you have double majored and thinking it reflects someone that knows what they want to do, a strong work ethic, is very organized, and has a very diverse level of knowledge based on majoring in two different areas. As well as “ Studies have indicated a double major can result in a 3.2 to 9.5 percent increase in income compared to fellow college graduate with just one major.” (Writers, 2019). Another reason might be because you are genuinely passionate about two different subjects and want to study both of them. Also, you might think that minoring with a major is easier and will still make you look better than the average college graduate, and that is correct as well but, someone that double majored might have a higher level of knowledge and way more detailed than someone who minored in that specific major.

The majors that I specifically chose that fit me are Sociology and Criminal Justice. I started off by thinking about what I really wanted to do in life; I wanted to help society by being involved in the justice system, but before I could help society, I have to understand it and how it relates to the criminal justice system. I chose Criminal Justice because since I was little I’ve always wanted to do something for my community and always being influenced by these crime dramas and seeing how so much crime is in our society and how it affects our society. I want to give back and fight for justice and for the ones who deserve it, bring some equality to the justice system because majoring in it right now, I can see that it isn’t very fair and it treats a lot of people very poorly. Which then brings me to my second major I chose which is Sociology; I chose Sociology because I wanted to learn and study about how crime affects society as a whole or how it targets certain groups or races primarily and to seek justice on that. Also, how sociology studies how laws and social expectations develop and change and how the violation is handled by different government agencies and social institutions. I’m talking a sociology class right now as a GE for my requirements to get declared into my Criminal Justice Major, so far it catches my attention very much and how society targets African Americans as being more involved in crime and oppressing them to be associated with it so all you think as them are criminals. These two majors I chose relate to each other and would go perfectly with what my life long goal is to work in the FBI.

I believe that my interests such as fighting for justice and doing the right thing no matter what situation I’m in and my personality with helping people and being responsibility and honest match with what I want to study which is Sociology and Criminal Justice. Using the VARK Questionnaire, I can see that I’m more of a Kinesthetic learner and a Read/Write Learner, meaning that I’m more of a hands on person and like to work with items and dive into the problem myself. I also agree with the Myers-Briggs personality test when I received my type as INFJ because I do make some of my decisions with my feelings than thinking because I can relate to a lot of people and I’m very empathetic. As well as I’m more of a judging person than a perceiving person when I make certain decisions. I tend to judge what decisions I make than just jumping to them and taking a chance. Other factors I believed that helped me determine my choice of major which is Criminal Justice is the influences around me like family who are in the Air Force or have jobs as a police officer and helped me open my eyes to this major and want to fight for people and protect them. Criminal Justice is what I’ve always wanted to study, and sociology has a part to do with it and can help me improve and better my knowledge in the field that I’m interested in going into. Research states that, “Try and pick two majors that you are interested in and will want to invest your energy into, but also pick two that could have some overlap in the course requirements.” (Randle, Randle, & University of Houston). I’ve picked sociology and criminal justice, both majors overlap each other and benefit the other and can make my critical thinking a stronger utility for me for my advantage.

The two majors that fit me are Sociology and Criminal Justice; Sociology is the study of the structure, development, and functioning of human society; while Criminal Justice is the system of law … used for all stages of criminal proceedings and punishment. These two majors relate with the basic definitions of them; sociology is the study of human interactions in society and Criminal Justice is focused on the crime and the cycle of it; if we understand the way humans interact and why the act like this in society toward crime, then we can figure out how to stop it or lower it and who or what it’s targeting. The major declaration requirements for Criminal Justice are to take CRJU 101 & 110 before your upper division classes as well as the Cognate courses like POSC 100, PSY 100 or 370, and etc; and maintaining a minimum 3.00 GPA with a “C” or better in each class. For Sociology you must take SOC 100 & 142 with a “C” or better, then do the GE for Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning, which can be SOC 170/HDEV 190/ or PSY 110. Lastly you need to take SOC 270 and when taking these classes have at least a minimum of a 2.5 G.P.A. For Criminal Justice, you must rake 48 Units of the major courses, which consist of 36 units of the core courses, next units of the following restricted option courses, then 3 units of any upper-division elective criminal justice and at least 6 units of a Senior Integrative Experience. For Sociology you must take either SOC 354 or 355 with a “C” or better, next you have to complete both SOC 356 & 357 for 6 units; then, you have to complete 3 units in both the Global Perspectives and Sociology Inequality and Social Change; Lastly, you complete 12!units of your Upper division Sociology courses to satisfy the previous requirements. In conclusion, both of these majors share most of the same prerequisite courses you must take to be declared into the major itself like SOC 100 & PSY 100. I passed AP Calculus, meaning that I don’t need to take a Mathematics requirement for Sociology and making it easy to double major. If both these majors share most of the same Prerequisites, then it’s easier and better to double major it benefit yourself in the future.

A few career options for Sociology in the Criminal Justice area are Law Enforcement, Probation or Parole Officers, Victim Services, and Federal Government Organizations such as the FBI and IRS. By this research, we can see how Sociology and Criminal Justice relate to each other in and outside the field. Double majoring can raise your chances of getting employed in one of your career choices reflecting you as a more open minded person and well prepared as well. It’ll give you the upper hand against other people applying for the same jobs as you. Three careers you can do with Criminal Justice are Supervision in social services, a legal representative, and finally in investigating in the FBI. We see again how with criminal justice, you can enter Social Services and see how the justice system is worked and how crime is seen first hand and how it affects our own society and the effects with it. These two majors reflect each other’s strengths and weaknesses and provide a wider knowledge of society and the justice system that can improve your decision making or your critical thinking process which will look better for you and your future employers.

In conclusion, using the VARKs Test and the Myers-Briggs Test, I was able to see the type of personality that I have and the type of learner I am as well which both match up and I can use to help me make the decision to better myself and choose to Double-Major. Most of my research I found about my two majors coincided with each other and made them the perfect match to double major in and the effects it could have on me and my future career if I did make that option. It can provide a higher percentage of being given employment in a specific area; also having an increase in income due to you majoring in two different areas that can relate to each other as well. Research states that, “It allows students to focus on two disciplines, related or unrelated, simultaneously. About 25% of all undergraduate college students double major in their bachelor’s degree.” (Randle, Randle, & University of Houston). With this you can have a higher chance into getting into your dream job or having a back up plan if one career option falls back on you. Double majoring will benefit you in the future no matter what the position is for you.   

Background: Briefly describe your background and how any events, obstacles, or successes have impacted your academic and professional goals.

Mathematics has always been an appealing subject to me. The concepts are concrete and tangible, while still thought-provoking in the imaginative sense. I believe that math can be applied to problem-solving in a myriad of fields to produce prosocial change. These math problems parallel my personal goals because, in both processes, you are working towards a solution.

With mathematics, similarly to biology, the singular processes always affect the whole outcome; there is a structured process of analytical thinking that produces definite solutions. My intended major, Bioengineering, offers an outlet for innovative thinking while providing a concrete application for people, such as the development of prosthetics. These interests had been fostered through my extracurriculars, such as my summer participation in the coding academy at my local community college and the Girls Who Code club.

Through the experience of learning how to code, I realized how much I enjoy the programming processes in 3-D visualization, such as prosthetics. In the academy, one of the projects was to develop a geometric shape. The process began with simple sketches of a cube, then the measurements had to be coded into the software program. Next, the 3-D printer built up the cube, layer by layer. Through trial and error, the calculations were reworked to fit the specific model.

Similar to the structural design of prosthetics, I can apply the concepts of math to create a physical model of my invention. Although the conventions of mathematics may seem abstract, the application of these principles is what allows practical solutions to be made. The cause and effect of each mathematical implementation relate to my aspiration in the Bioengineering field; each new improvement of the slightest degree is progress being made toward a goal.

Career choice: How will your major contribute to your immediate or long-range career plans, including any future contributions to your community?

My aspirations in Bioengineering, specifically the development of prosthetics, require extensive medical training. Through technical training, at this university, accompanied by the various club involvement in the Biomedical Engineering Society I’m working to gain more professional exposure.

I am currently taking Bioengineering courses, in which I am producing 3D modelizations of a vertebra, I’ve gained an immense amount of hands-on experience and hope to continue my learning. This course focused on producing innovations that can effectively catalyze a person’s recovery towards regaining mobility, as well as offer alternative medical instruments for those with disabilities. This furthered my pursuit of my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Science and broadened my understanding of my aspirations in designing prosthetic innovations.

Along with what I learned from this engaging course, I’m focused on producing innovations that can effectively catalyze a person’s recovery towards regaining mobility, as well as offer alternative medical instruments for those in need. From these experiences, I was able to continue my professional experience through a Bioinformatics lab on campus, which specializes in the modelization of mechanics of the heart, for undiseased and diseased patients.

I’m focused on producing innovations that can effectively catalyze a person’s recovery toward regaining mobility, as well as offer alternative medical instruments for those with disabilities. The pursuit of my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Science would be a catalyst for my ideas to form physical, and prosthetic innovations.

From my community involvement, I’ve developed a desire to pursue a career that is not only gratifying but also offers an outlet for creative thinking and problem-solving. I hope to learn from my degrees and relay the knowledge obtained back to my community, through aiding in medical rehabilitation programs. I believe with this occupation I can produce prosocial change for both individuals and society as a whole.

Extra-curricular activities: Describe how you have demonstrated leadership ability both in and out of school (i.e. participation in a career academy, clubs, professional organizations, community projects, employment, etc.).

Throughout my high school career, I’ve pursued the many rigorous courses offered at my school, consisting of both AP and IB classes, while participating in various extracurriculars and sports teams. Within my tennis team, I undertook the role of Team Captain for three consecutive years and received the Most Valuable Player Award for two years. At the end of each academic year, every teacher can nominate students to receive a Golden Lion Award in their specific department (Mathematics, History, English, etc.). I was fortunate enough to receive a Golden Lion Award for every subject and receive the Principal’s Award in recognition of my academic diligence.

Aside from my academic experience, I had many active roles in various community service-based and student-led organizations such as serving as Team Captain for Relay for Life organization, State Officer and President of the SkillsUSA organization, and Youth Ambassador at the Desert Town Hall Speaker Series. As Team Captain for Relay for Life, I led our team to raise over $1,200 in funds for the American Cancer Society, over three years.

As Youth Ambassador, I assisted in the event logistics for the renowned Desert Town Hall Speaker Series. I was also assigned the responsibility of creating and giving an introduction for Astronaut Captain Scott Kelly to a vast room of students. This experience of public speaking allowed me to delegate members efficiently in the SkillsUSA organization as I served as a State Officer for students from all California chapters.

From learning these delegation skills, I was able to apply them to my chapter at school, as President. I helped my school’s SkillsUSA chapter gain silver recognition, a state-level award, presented to regional chapters that exemplified a large growth in member participation and an immense amount of community involvement.

Financial need: How would this scholarship impact your ability to finance your education?

As a child of a first-generation immigrant, my pursuit in the medical field, specifically Bioengineering, will be advancing my professional and personal growth towards the qualities I seek to have, reflective of my mother’s such as her compassion and work ethic.

Now as a devoted single mother, she continues to persevere through all the hardships to provide for her children the necessities and educational opportunities she, herself, once hoped for. From the affliction she felt from those dreading hours in the shop to the pain in her cramping fingers and the aches in her back, she’s determined to overcome these challenges to create a happy and stable life, full of opportunities for my sister and me. I try to recall all the sacrifices she has made and those tiring hours spent helping me with homework while learning English herself. These thoughts are what motivate me to take advantage of the opportunities presented to me to better myself not only for my future but my mother’s.

Beginning my first year at UCSD was quite an arduous transition, being that this was my first experience away from my family. I found that acclimating to the academic environment was much more challenging than anticipated, especially since I had no prior insight into the level of difficulty of a university. Adjusting to an accelerated quarter system has also contributed to the rigorous shift from a high school to a university-level education.

Throughout the hardships my mother has been a constant source of encouragement and support, I hope with this monetary aid I will be able to lessen the burden of my costly education. Not only would this financial aid allow me and my family to finance my education and further my aspirations, but it would also provide me personal reassurance to achieve my fullest potential.

It is quite astonishing to think that the three-pound sack of grey and white matter in our heads is what fundamentally separates us from our ape ancestors and enables us to dominate the planet and build a complex global civilization. The unique nature of the human brain has not only enabled us to perform unimaginable feats but has also exposed our species to a greater range of well-being and suffering. Since our experience of the world is realized fundamentally in the brain, I believe Neuroscience and Cognitive Science are the most important fields concerning helping humans live fulfilling lives. As someone who has fought my own battle against depression, I am particularly aware of the negative physical and emotional consequences of negative brain states and harbor a desire to do my part to help people mitigate these and live fruitful lives. While there is still a lot we need to learn about the brain, recent advancements in domains like Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroimaging, and Behavioral Analysis are starting to give us a much better picture of why it is that human beings do what we do. While I don’t think we are likely to map this space out completely any time soon, I am convinced that the innovations in these areas will allow us to gain a much more holistic picture of mental health, memory, and the roots of human behavior. I desire to explore these disciplines and contribute to these advancements that serve as my primary motive in pursuing a Master’s in Neuroscience at your esteemed Institution.

Having a fascination with the field of biology from a fairly young age and as someone who always wanted to do my part to usher in technological advancements to help make people’s lives better, I chose to major in Biotechnology during my undergraduate studies. Throughout the program, I was introduced to a vast set of diverse domains of which I particularly enjoyed the courses I took on Neurobiology and Cognitive Sciences as these allowed me to gain an understanding of how our nervous system was shaped by natural selection, the blood-brain barrier as well as the various the causes and effects of various neurodegenerative disorders. My interest was also particularly piqued by the field of Psychology as I became captivated by exploring domains like consciousness, learning, memory, perception, and intelligence. My intellectual curiosity pushed me to go above and beyond my curriculum and explore novel concepts which in turn helped me gain new ideas and perspectives. Meanwhile, the lab courses I took on Psychology, Biology, and Molecular Biology also gave me a chance to practically apply the concepts I was learning and hone my research skills.

Being enthralled by the plethora of new concepts I was learning, I took up several consequential projects and studies during my time in college to do my part to contribute to research in these fields. This included a project on Nueopsychoanalysis, where I collected and analyzed data from 116 different people who were part of a random sample, to help determine how big a role emotional intelligence played in mental well-being and professional success. Comparing two different groups through T-Test and ANOVA, I was also able to establish a significant relationship. As I had been captivated by the courses I took on Criminology, Behavioral Analysis, and Forensics, I also assisted with the investigation of the Black Dahlia Murder Case. I was involved in analyzing the crime science exhaustively and based on the facts of the case, I performed a behavioral and psychological analysis of the perpetrator. As a part of another project, working as a part of a team, I helped arrive at a sustainable solution for the problem of ocean acidification which has accelerated in recent decades. We engineered E.coli to maintain the pH level of water bodies at 8.2 and to prevent it from reaching levels that are harmful to aquatic life. We got rave reviews for both our ideation and execution of this project and owing to my work on this I gained a detailed understanding of processes like nucleic acid isolation, spectroscopy, gel documentation, electrophoresis, gene cloning, and various other microbiological techniques. I look forward to undertaking similarly challenging projects during my graduate study as well.

Apart from the projects I worked on, I was also part of multiple internships and training stints which helped me add more skills to my repertoire. This included an internship at the National Institute of Biologicals, Noida where I received crucial insights into the ongoing research and acquired hands-on training in the viral vaccine lab, recombinant DNA lab, Monoclonal antibody lab, and immunodiagnostic lab. During a one-month internship at MRD Life Sciences, I got to explore various aspects of microbiology and researched topics like genomic DNA isolation from microbes, protein isolation, and recombinant DNA technology. Besides this, I also had the opportunity to be a part of an industrial visit to Mazumdar Shaw Centre For Translational Research, where I became updated with the research being undertaken on domains like tumor immunology, immune surveillance, Breast cancer identification, etc. I also got a chance to learn how various lab instruments and tools worked and how they were employed in experimentation and testing. These experiences helped me add considerably to my research skills, and I am confident that the skills I gained will help me meet the challenges I am likely to encounter during my Master’s, head-on.

During the Master’s program, I would like to catch up with the latest scientific literature in the different sub-domains of Neuroscience and wish to become well-versed in the latest advancements in Behavioural Sciences and Clinical Psychology. I want to take up research projects on analyzing human behavior and further hone my skills. After completing my Master’s, I wish to work for an NGO and help orphans and other disadvantaged people improve their mental health. I believe improving one’s mental well-being and state of mind is the key to harnessing their true potential and I would thus like to leverage the latest innovations that fields like Psychology and Behavioral Science can offer to help improve the quality of people’s lives.

Knowing well of the state-of-the-art research facilities, challenging curriculum, and accomplished faculty members at your institution, I am confident that being part of the Master’s program in Neuroscience is the obvious next step in working towards my long-term goals. I am confident I will do well in the program and that my academic and research experiences so far will hold me in good stead. I hope to learn, share, and grow as a member of your vibrant scholastic community.

Over the last decade there has been a major resurgence of interest in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). In the public domain there have been many recent high-profile demonstrations of AI – with significant progress being made in fields as diverse as self-driving cars [1], game-playing machines [2,3,4] and virtual assistants [5]. Alongside these impressive and often high-profile successes, academic interest in AI has also undergone a significant surge over the last ten years. Since 2010, the number of academic papers on AI has increased 8-fold [6], with some subfields such as machine learning (ML) having even greater increases. This academic interest has led to a number of major new AI approaches, as well as incremental improvements in earlier techniques.

However, despite these advances, many AI application areas are still fairly immature and, in some cases, have failed to fully meet expectations and early hype. As early as 1965, Herbert Simon predicted that “machines will be capable, within twenty years, of doing any work that a man can do” [7]. Now some 60 years later, AI remains unable to assist in the majority of human tasks. More recently, even in narrow, applied AI fields, many AI predictions have proven overly optimistic, and the challenges more significant than initially appreciated. This has been the case even where there has been some technological success, and significant resources have been applied. For instance, in 2015, based on significant developments in self-driving car technology, The Guardian reported that “from 2020 you will be a permanent backseat driver” [8]. However, while advances have been made in autonomous vehicles, most now agree that the challenges of full autonomy are still significant and it is likely that fully autonomous vehicles are some time away [9]. However, despite the lack of breakthroughs in some areas, in other areas of AI research, significant advances have been made that occurred well ahead of predictions. In 2016, for instance, Google’s AlphaGo agent successfully beat the world’s best Go player [10], despite predictions only a year or two earlier that this achievement was well over a decade away [11].

In this report, we discuss some of the recent breakthroughs in AI research, and explore some of the opportunities these provide in the context of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Rather than examine the entire field of AI, we focus on five significant areas that have seen rapid advances during the last decade, and discuss the drivers for these developments and prospects for future successes. In this report, we attempt to provide a balanced perspective, reflecting on both the potential strengths of AI as well as its weaknesses and current limitations. We present an outline of some of the technological breakthroughs that have led to the current growth in AI research for the non-specialist reader and we also discuss some of the requirements for applying these technologies in the context of the ADF. This report is intended to inform Australian military and Defence civilian staff of some of the opportunities presented by this rapidly developing field, and to educate non-specialists on some of the limitations of current techniques.

We begin with a high-level summary of the history of artificial intelligence research, in order to provide some context to the current wave of AI development. We discuss the drivers for the current growth in AI interest and, in particular, provide an explanation of the field of deep learning and the reason for its exponential growth over the last decade. We then discuss some emerging application areas that were chosen as they represent technologies that have advanced significantly over the last decade and, as such, provide new opportunities for applications in the military context. Finally, we discuss some enabling capabilities that need to be addressed by the ADF if they are to successfully embrace these emerging technologies.

“Where there is a will, there is a way”, a maxim I follow to achieve my goals. The spirit of innovation has allowed mankind to progress from sparse group of creatures to an extensive population that has dominated the globe. Growing up with an irrepressible likeness for innovation endeared my curiosity to creativity and thus my desire in improving current design and promoting new technological advances. It always reverberates in my mind to produce the kind of technologies read in books, and seen in movies or documentaries.

In my quest for innovation, I was ardent on going to college to garner the imperative knowledge needed to quench my burning passion. I took Electrical and Electronics Engineering as my major for it offered me eclectic choice of specialization in which the power and energy system I have strong inclination for was made available. During these five years, I enrolled in some electrical power systems courses (see transcript) and I had straight “A” in my core electrical power courses. These subjects sparked my research instinct when I realized I am fascinated by the prospects of being a part of such researches. The lack of self-confidence that plagued me during my first year here was due to lack of orientation and insufficient study skill. However, both my study skill and ability to process information has sharpened as evidenced by an improvement in my grades. I graduated with a GPA of 4.32 and I was ranked among the top 5% of my class.

My personal desire for knowledge has ignited my passion for research and thus my interest in power systems and energy management; this has triggered me to carry out a research work, though unpublished, on the “Renewable energy towards a sustainable power supply in Nigeria power industry” during my student internship at Ibadan Electrical Distribution Company (IBEDC), the largest electricity distribution company in Nigeria. I have come to discover that power systems and energy management perfectly aligns with my academic interest.

During my penultimate year in College, I also took active part in extracurricular activities where I sought out many opportunities to teach electrical engineering students. I volunteered as a tutor to teach my college peers some recondite electrical engineering courses such as: electrical power and principles, electrical power system analysis, power system protection and control and power system communication and control, my nature flair for these electrical power courses made my friends give me the sobriquet “Tesla”. These teaching experiences have confirmed that I have the desire and aptitude to convey my knowledge of power systems to others; it is my goal to be of service.

My undergraduate research project was centered on “GSM Based Overvoltage Protection for Distribution Board” under the supervision of Dr. A.I. Abdulateef. This project aimed at addressing a current problem regarding energy management as well as protection of electrical load from sustained overvoltage. In the process, I developed an algorithm for the operation of the device using C programming language. This project was exhibited at the Engineering Project Exhibition (EPEX) 2018 edition in my school and was later installed in my supervisor’s office.

Based on my research, I have realized that the graduate program in electrical engineering with a focus on power systems and energy management at the University of Tennessee Knoxville is the perfect next step to broaden my academic horizons further. UTK fits my aspirations as it provides a perfect blend of academic rigor, research facilities and a diverse environment to interact and learn from. The curriculum at UTK is holistic and objective and would serve as a vital cornerstone for obtaining knowledge in my intended field. I find that the types of research interest I have are in correspondence with several research faculty member at UTK, including Dr. Hector Pulgar, Dr. Kai Sun, and Dr. Leon Tolbert. All of these faculty members have research projects that involve Power Systems and Energy Management. I am greatly intrigued by Dr. Hector research on______ and Dr. Kai research on_____. UTK would provide me with great opportunity since its faculty research perfectly aligns with my academic interest.

My ultimate career goal is to become a University Professor. With the PhD, I will be able to integrate my diverse educational background in research as well as teaching. It is my goal to become highly skilled and to contribute real value to the projects of the faculty at the University of Tennessee.

I assure the admission committee that I will endeavor to surpass the expectations set forth for an incoming student, I believe my determination and tenacity in pursuit of knowledge along with my other qualifications can lead to success as a student in the graduate program at the University of Tennessee. I look forward to being part of this acclaimed university next fall.

This essay examines the contention that philosophy, not politics or positionality, drives geographers’ changing approaches to social difference. Through analyzing three social differences, namely gender, sexualities and children, this essay contends that philosophy, politics and positionality are all intrinsically intertwined and have all driven geographers’ changing approaches. However, this essay goes on to show that there exists the need to consider other drivers like the interaction between geography and other bodies of literature, in order to gain a fuller understanding of how geography has been shaped by particular drivers in the study of social differences.

Gender

In the area of gender, which is defined as the “different roles, qualities and responsibilities attributed to men and women in society” (Rogers et al., 2013), this essay argues that positionality and politics, more than philosophy, have driven geographers’ changing approaches, as women themselves have been responsible for bringing themselves to the forefront of the discipline through their writings, which has been facilitated by changing politics, like the women’s liberation movement.

Philosophy has also driven geographers’ changing approaches to gender.

Philosophically, gender has seen the change from positivism to feminism to a melding of feminism with other philosophies. Positivism has been influential in urban studies, which aimed to construct an epistemology based on empirical evidence to quantify geographical phenomena. As evidenced by the rise theory of urban ecology in the 1920s, whereby cities were conceptualised as environments like that of nature, governed by the same laws of Darwin (Brown 2002). Geography thus became interested in mapping the spatiality of the city with little regard to social differences like that of gender and race (Brown 2002). However, such an approach fell out of favour for being overly simplistic, with researchers becoming more aware of cultural and social processes. Then came the advent of feminism which women themselves challenged long-standing androcentrism, calling for academic attention to be directed at women (Huang et al. 2017). Feminism continues to shape current approaches to gender albeit to a smaller extent, with significant academic interest being directed in the manner in which it melds and contests other philosophies like post-structuralism and Marxism (MacKinnon 1982; Alcoff 1998). Therefore, philosophy has driven geographers’ changing approaches to gender, shaping the way gender was being studied at different times.

Positionality and politics have driven geographers’ changing approaches to gender. Looking at the development of urban theory, women’s work was not acknowledged by prominent male sociologists like Robert Park, as it was seen as politicised and illogical (Sibley 1995). Thus, the history of urban theory is seen to be attributed to the work of male sociologists with little regard to that of women, alluding to the masculinised view of knowledge which dominated then due to the overwhelmingly male academic field. In this case, we see the prominent role of positionality, with women writing themselves into the discipline, but their voices disregarded due to the politics of the time. In McDowell and Massey’s (1984) work, they examine how changing economic and employment structures in County Durham and Lancashire have affected the spatial distribution of work in relation to gender. In 19th century, County Durham had a distinct gendered division of labour, with coal mining being a male-only job, while women were responsible for domestic labour. In the 20th century, decimation of the mining industry and the rise of branch plants, which involved both male and female workers, resulted in a less gendered division of labour. Thus, the role of politics in this piece is evident, with economics changing politics of the time thus reshaping gender relations, causing women to be conceived as being of interest to the female authors of this piece. Therefore, the interdependent relationship between positionality and politics is evident, positionality caused women to be interested in writing about themselves, however their work was only considered with changing politics, on the other hand, politics resulted in women being conceived as worthy objects of study, with women academics writing about them. Hence, positionality and politics are equally important as both are intrinsically interdependent on each other in driving geographers’ changing approach to gender.

Sexualities

In the domain of sexualities, which is defined as “a person’s sexual orientation or preference” (Rogers et al. 2013), I argue that positionality, more so than politics or philosophy has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexuality.

Politics has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexualities by drawing initial attention to the subject and through societal changes which made sexuality more acceptable to academia. Sexualities first interested geographers through the development of gay neighbourhoods which were seen to be influencing gentrification. Castells’ (1983) work spearheaded interest in this area, by mapping specific gay neighbourhoods and commercial districts, he argued that the geography of gay men and lesbians were inherently distinct and attributed this to their corresponding gender roles and behaviour. This drew academic interest to the spatial basis of gay identity, and the central role that gay men had in urban gentrification (Binnie and Valentine 1999). The abolishment of the public-private dichotomy in geography was also seen to facilitate the study of sexuality in geography. In the past, geographers only focused on the public such as urban spaces, while sexuality was characterised as an inherently private issue (Holloway 2019). However, with societal changes, like first and second wave feminism, notions pertaining to sexuality changed, with it being seen as an topic that could be studied. Therefore, politics has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexualities by drawing initial interest to sexualities and by making it a topic that is acceptable to be studied in academia.

Geographers changing approaches to sexualities has been driven by various philosophies from positivism and subsequently feminism and post-structuralism. Sexualities first entered geographers’ radar through the creation of the concentric city model, which attempted to map the spatiality of cities, with the “zone of transition” seen as the place for vice and high levels of poverty (Clift and Carter 2000). This new concept directed research focused on vice in the city, such as that of prostitution which Reckless (1969) argued was intimately linked with the urban environment. However, the topic of sexualities then became ignored by geographers as evidenced by the adoption of the concentric city model into mainstream geography without mention of vice in the “zone of transition” (Holloway 2019). The rise of feminism resulted in feminists challenging sexual norms of rape and compulsory nature of intercourse, with sexuality seen to be constructed to serve men (Jeffreys 1997). Thus placing sexuality on geographers’ agenda, by highlighting the unequal power relations between men and women. Currently, studies in sexualities are not dominated by any particular philosophy, but rather researchers are mixing and matching various approaches in order to better comprehend sexuality (Holloway 2019). Therefore, philosophy has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexuality by dictating the changing focuses they had with regards to sexualities.

Positionality has driven geographers’ changing approaches to sexuality as much of the initial and current literature has been overwhelmingly written by gay or lesbian geographers. In this domain, positionality plays two key roles, firstly by facilitating access to research populations. In Rooke’s (2009) study of a gay and lesbian community centre, she found that participants were more willing to share their life experiences when she presented herself as a white working-class lesbian researcher. Evidently in this case, the common shared identity of researcher and participant has facilitated access to the research population. Secondly, it allows researchers to gain a deeper understanding of sexualities. By being gay or lesbian, the researcher is able to tap into their sexuality as a source of knowledge, thus supplementing their research (Cupples 2002). Furthermore, by being situated in the social difference they are studying, the researcher themselves are being subjected to lesser scrutiny than researchers who do not belong to the community being studied (McDonald 2013). These two reasons have resulted in the dearth of research in this area being published by gay and lesbian geographers, whose writings have placed sexualities on the agenda. Therefore, positionality has driven geographers’ changing approaches to social difference as it has allowed queer geography to be produced by queer geographers, thus shaping interest in this domain.

In the domain of sexualities, this essay contends that positionality has been the main driver of geographers’ changing approaches to social difference. Without queer geographers writing about themselves, there would be a lack of reliable literature pertaining to sexualities, which is the foundation on which other geographers were able to study sexualities.

Children

In the domain of children, I argue that philosophy nor politics or positionality has driven geographers’ changing approaches, but rather it has been driven primarily by the cross-disciplinary interaction between geography and other bodies of literature, such as the New Social Studies of Childhood (NSSC). The NSSC refers to a body of literature with the shared conceptualization of the child as a ‘being’, whereby “the child is conceived of as a person, a status, a course of action, a set of needs, rights or differences – in sum, as a social actor…” (James et al. 1998:207).

Geographers’ changing approaches to children have been driven by philosophy, with arguably feminism in particular having a more pronounced impact. Feminist investigations have often focused on collaborative methods, where the uneven power relations between researcher and participant is dismantled (McDowell 1992). Such a consideration is particularly crucial in children’s’ geographies as informants are usually children, whereby the implicit power relation between the two may favour the adult researcher by “general cultural notions of power and control” (Christensen 2004: 168). This has manifested in children’s geographies with researchers commonly asking participants how they wish to be represented (Weller 2006), which has in turn given agency and a voice to the children researched. Therefore, geographers’ changing approaches to children have been driven by philosophy influencing the manner in which children’s geographies research is being conducted.

In terms of positionality, geographers’ approaches to children have not been driven by it directly, but rather indirectly. With children being unable to place themselves on the agenda through writing about themselves, we see that majority of the literature in this domain have been written mostly by women (Holloway 2019). This can be attributed to women being the primary caregivers for children, thus spending more time with them and developing a deeper understanding of them (Valentine 2004). By influencing changing approaches only indirectly, positionality has not been a significant driver in influencing geographers’ approaches to children.

Politics has driven geographers’ changing approaches to children as the changing status of children in society has resulted in them being conceived as a subject of interest for geographers. There has been a recent and intensifying significance being placed upon children’s rights as evidenced by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified in 1998 by all except two countries in the world. This concerted effort to recognize children’s rights signifies a prominent political shift whereby children are now seen as deserving of the same rights and protection as that of adults (Matthews and Limb 1999). Academic interest soon followed as evidenced by the subsequent creation and publication of the international journal Children’s Geographies in 2003, which has served as crucial site for discussion on issues affecting children and young people (Skelton 2013). Therefore, politics has driven geographers’ changing approaches to children by resulting in them being viewed as a subject of interest for geographers.

However, the cross-disciplinary interaction between geography and other bodies of literature, like the NSSC remains the key driver behind geographers’ changing approaches to children. One key contribution from this interaction would be the establishment of the importance of place in the NSSC by geographers (Holloway and Valentine 2000). Robson (1996) through his study of West Africa which had what was perceived to be an anomalously high dependency ratio, questions the construction of childhood as a time of dependency by uncovering the active role children had in households. Such a finding fundamentally undermined the Western construction of childhood which fails to recognise the vital contribution children in the South made to household economic survival. Therefore, geographers’ changing approaches to children has been driven by cross-disciplinary interaction which has reconceptualised childhood for geographers.

With regards to children, geographers’ changing approaches have been mainly driven by the cross-disciplinary interaction of geography with other bodies of literature rather than that of philosophy, politics or positionality. As evidenced above, geographers are continuing to value-add to work in the NSSC, at the same time, the NSSC has reconceptualised childhood for geography, providing geographers with a new perspective on the issue, thus driving geographers’ changing approaches to children.

In conclusion, this essay contends that positionality and politics is important with regards to gender while positionality is important to sexuality in driving geographers’ changing approaches to social difference. However, as evidenced in the study of children, there is the need to consider beyond positionality, politics or philosophy as the only drivers of changing approaches, as factors like cross-disciplinary interaction with other bodies of literature may also drive geographers’ changing approaches.